Memories at the Hot Springs—Talking with a Stranger

 

I have had a long conversation with a complete stranger.

One day, I was at a hot spring. An elderly woman dropped her towel in the bath. I picked it up and squeezed the water out for her. That small action started our conversation.

She told me that she was traveling from Tokyo. She was born and raised there, but she loved the nature in Nagano. She said she comes to Nagano every year because the air is clean and the scenery is beautiful. I thought Tokyo was a great place where you can do anything, but she said Tokyo is a very tiring city.

We talked about how hard life in Tokyo can be and how relaxing Nagano is. 

The conversation continued while we stayed in the bath.

I usually go to hot springs alone because I like to relax quietly. However, talking with her while warming my body felt nice too. I think it is not good to talk to strangers for no reason, but I also think it is important not to ignore conversations that start naturally.

Happy or Unhappy dinner party with strangers

 At the dinner party, I would like to find out if three strangers are dangerous, if they are trying to deceive me, and what their motives are. I must invite my sister and a childhood friend to the party because I am not good at judging people.

I am going to ask a lot of questions so that my sister and my childhood friend can see their behavior and eye-tracking, and check what contradictions there are in their talks. In case three strangers are dangerous and may harm us, I will hold a stand-up party in the garden where we can easily escape and must carry my cellphone to call police. Having many people at the party may make it more difficult for dangerous individuals to act, which is why I want as many people as possible to attend. Their family, their local area, their childhood, their school memories, and their job will be discussed. We will only ask a few questions. I want to create an atmosphere where three strangers can talk freely.

If three strangers are nice to me, I will be able to make new friends.